Implementation of the children and young people’s health partnership model of paediatric integrated care: a mixed-methods process evaluation

Objective A process evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Health Partnership (CYPHP) model of integrated care for the interpretation of trial findings and building evidence on the implementation of integrated care for children.

Design A mixed-methods process evaluation.

Setting CYPHP was implemented at scale across two inner-city London boroughs in South London, England, as a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial involving nearly 98 000 children, with a nested process evaluation.

Participants Linked data were available from 73 000 participants. Qualitative data collection was through 102 interviews (group and 1:1) and observations.

Interventions Local child health clinics delivered by paediatricians and general practitioners and a nurse-led early intervention service for children with tracer conditions (asthma, eczema and constipation), decision support, a primary care hotline, self-management support and health promotion.

Main outcome measures Five domains of the RE-AIM implementation framework: Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance.

Results Implementation varied depending on resource availability, competing priorities and natural changes over time. Successful implementation drivers included cohesive interprofessional and partnership collaboration.

Conclusions Integrated care for children can be implemented at scale, but variability, particularly low reach, may limit measurable impact at the population level. Significant health system strengthening, implementation plasticity and contextual tailoring are crucial for ensuring the efficacy and sustainability of impactful integrated care for children.

Trial registration number NCT03461848.